Lubricated plug valve



Said p0st limits the Reuma sept. 1., 1936 "i Re. 20,093

Balph Neuhaus,

Houston.

Tex.. assigner to Hughes Tool Company, Houston, Tex., a corporation oi Texas vOriginal No. 2,011,113, dated August.. 13, 1935,

Serial No. 724,061, May 5, 1934.

Application for reissue July 13, 1936, Serial No. 90,392 4 claims. (01. 251-93) A My invention relates to plug valves in which a 'lubricant isemployed to` assist in maintaining a seal and also to facilitate the operation of the valve. f

Itis an object of the invention to assure lubrication on the downstream side of the plug where the plug nts most closely in the housing of the valve so-that a seal may be preserved along that surface. I tlnd that where lubricant is fed to the valve housing about the valve without special provision to force it into the close fitting side of the plug, that the lubricant escapes into the loose fitting side of the plug and is not effective in sealing the plug at the point where it is most desired.

I also desire to employ a spring or the like be.

tween the valve stem and the valve to hold the valve registered and thus enable the valve to be constructed without machining the valve to close tolerances.

Economy of construction is thus accomplished.

In the drawing herewith Fig. 1 `is a central longitudinal section through a plug valve employing my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the plane 2-2 of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a broken detail showing the connection between the valve stem and the valve.

Fig. 4 is a broken vertical section showing alubricant opening.

The invention is shown as applied to a stop cock having a cylindrical plug vI therein. but is.

obviously applicable to other shapes of plug valves. Said plug nts yfreely withina valve body 2 and transversely of a fluid passage i in said body. Said valve body forms a housing for the valve which is enclosed in a chamber l, cylindrical in shape.

'Ihe lower end or d valve chamber is recessed at 5 and the wall 8 has a-screw I secured therein; the head of said screw within the chamber forming a stop post t, which projects into an arcuate groove or recess I in the lower end of the plug. downward movement of the plug and also limits the rotation oi' saidplug to about degrees.

The upper'end of the-valve chamber I is closed by a threaded sleeve III, through which the valve stem II is rotatable. There is a stumng box I2 about the stem within th outer end of sleeve Il to preserve a seal about the stem.

The connection between the valve stem II and v the valve plug I. is a loose one formed by a dattened head I3 fitting between two upstandlng lugs II on the plug, as seen inFlg. 3. In order to avoid thenecessityforacciuatemaehininmlplacea spring IB between the lower end of the stem I I and the valve plug between the lugs I5. This spring acts to hold the plug valve I downwardly against the stop post B so that the opening I1 In the plug may register with the fluid passage 3 when said valve is in open position. By the use of this spring it becomes unnecessary tov machine the parts ac' curately where the valve stem fits the slot Il bu fairly large tolerances can be malle.` l

The plug has lubricant conducting grooves I8 and It adjacent its upper and lower ends respectively. These grooves are on opposite sides of the plug and extend around the 'plug about 90 of its circumference and on the sides away from the l in the plug. As will be understood from Fig. 2

these channels I9 are preferably formed on one side of the housing and connect with openings 20 in the wall of the valve body, through which lubricant may be forced into said channels.

Saidopenings 20 are threaded to receive valve plugs 2l which have lubricant passage 22 axially thereof. The passages have check valves therein allowing ow of lubricant inwardly only. The outer ends of openings 2li are threaded to receive a grease gun and are normally closed by plug 23. These lubricant conducting channels, arranged as disclosed, make it possible to supply lubricant on either the upstream or downstream side of the valve. This type of valve is frequently used to control fluids` under high pressure and, in such cases, I find that the body of the valve plug is f then feeding lubricant positively to each side separately, I am able to assure lubricant on the downstream side and thus assure a seal and also keep the valve plus from sticking in its seat.

Thus a common ditllculty in plug valves is overcome. v .f

The valve hereinldisclosed is cheap to manufacture but is also effective in use and durable in its lasting qualities.

What I'claim as new: l

1. A plug valve including a body having a longitudinal iiuid passage, a valve chamber transversely' of said passage. a valve plug adapted to nt within said chamber and having an opening adapted to be brought, By rotation. into or out of registration with said passage,means interntting loosely with one end of said plug, to rotate the same, opposite lubricant channels formed in said plug adjacent the upper and lower ends of said plug. to conduct lubricant to the upstream side of.

said plug and separate channels similarly li'ormed to conduct lubricant to the downstream side thereof when said plu'g is in closed position, said channels on opposed sides being unconnected with each other or with the ends of said plug.

2. A plug valve including a body having a longitudinal iluid passage, a valve chamber transversely of said passage, a valve plug adapted'to fit within said chamber and having an opening 3. In a plug valve a valve chamber, a plug valve therein having a iluid opening diametrically thereof. arcuate channels in saidplug on opposite sides o! said plug away from said opening at both the upper and lower ends thereof, means to connect the upper and lower channels on each side with each other, the channels on opposite sides being separately formed to provide closed passages irom which lubricant cannot flow, means to rotate said plug and means to feed lubricant to the channels on each side of said plug sep-L arately from the other.

4. A valve body having a iluid passage.` a valve plug transversely thereof and having a iluid opening, a groove at`one end o! said plug,a valve stem. a head on said stem engaging in said groove, a post in said valve body engaging the end of said plug opposite said stem. and means between said stem and said valve plug in said groove to hold said plug resiliently toward said post.

RALPH NEUHAUsQ 

